


Stardust

by rylo



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo Needs A Hug, F/M, Hux Has No Chill, Jedi Rey, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, R, Redemption, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-03-14 09:50:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13587555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rylo/pseuds/rylo
Summary: Post TLJRating will vary as the story progressesFueling the reylo fire because I won’t survive the wait for IX





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This intro is just a test to see if anyone really likes it. I have a much longer chapter coming later once I get the hang of uploading on here :)

_“Tell me. What do you see?”_

_The small boy puffed out his cheeks and exhaled, shifting his_ _weight._ _His hair fell messily_ _over his ears, black curls swaying out in different directions as_ _he meditated. “Stone..” he_ _whispered._ _“The temple. I see you, standing behind me.” He was_ _cross legged with his hands balled into_ _tiny fists._ _Softly, his uncle’s voice pushed him along._

_“Very good, Ben. Now reach out..”_

_The padawan held his breath. For a moment, everything_ _was dark. When he finally released, his breathing became slow and rhythmic before he_ _finally felt something. It started in his chest, a small and warm tingling sensation that_ _suddenly raced across his limbs until it exploded out of his fingertips. In an instant, all Ben_ _could see was beauty. Thousands of different worlds- entire planets. Worlds covered with ice_ _and snow, worlds completely submerged in water, worlds that were on fire._ _“I see a planet.” Had Ben’s eyes been open, they would’ve been wide with awe. “Covered_ _with sand.” He could hear people speaking to him- to each other. A man. A woman. A little_ _girl. All kinds of creatures- life, death, each coexisting with the simple goal of fulfilling it’s_ _purpose. It soon felt constrained, however._

_“I see a forest.” Ben squinted. “An island.” The_ _images were becoming harder to define. Luke watched him curiously, seeing the boy begin_ _to tense up. “I see Mama. And Papa... but something’s wrong.” His tone darkened. Ben’s_ _breathing quickened. There was something seeping into his mind. He couldn’t quite describe_ _it. “There’s something else there.”_

_“What is it, Ben?” Luke stepped towards him cautiously._

_“A voice.” Ben bit his lip. He took quick, shaky breaths as he clenched his fists tighter. It_ _was so... familiar. He’d heard it before. Many times. But it was supposed to go away when_ _he came here, at least that’s what his parents must’ve thought. It’s what he was told. It wasn’t real._

_“What is it saying?”_

_“It wants me to hurt you.”_

——-

She’s ready for another person to run by. She’s ready to fly. To keep this consistent energy going until she’s too tired to think about what just happened. What she’s not ready for is Ben Solo. She feels her breath catch in her throat when sees him. His eyes are hollow and deep. He’s pleading with her again- silently, this time. Part of her had expected him to be angry with her, saber drawn and ready to finish this. However she finds that a simpering, non violent Kylo Ren is much harder to deal with. The name “Ben” almost falls off of her lips- but it‘s not the time. They need to leave. It’s practical. Rey’s eyebrows furrow slightly as she mechanically presses her hand against the button. She watches him disappear behind the door for what she thinks last time.

————

There’s something there- for a split second, she wants to be with him. He’s sure of it. Earlier, he hadn’t sensed anything else as her hand reached for his. If it wasn’t for that damn fleet of traitors, he would’ve been her only focus. As Crait seems to disappear around him, for a split second he’s taken back to that moment. Kylo last saw the Scavenger bathed in a white light. Her arm was outstretched, figure caked with a mix of dirt and sweat while her eyes were wide and desperate. If needed, he was certain that he could easily recall their exact shade of brown- and the raw emotion that filled them. He tenses, desperately mapping out her features before she too hates him like everyone else. As he kneels before her, Kylo Ren can’t contemplate it. He can pinpoint every movement, every breath, how each strand of her hair falls into place. The girl seems to stop. Her hand pulls back ever so slightly. Kylo has half a mind to call out, but he freezes as he watches her expression harden.

The door of the Falcon closes.

He’s left with only the taste of salt and his own regret.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do love the headcanon that all of the KOR are female...  
> [Disclaimer: I’m going off of several fan concepts and what little information I have gathered about the KoR, I apologize if anything is off! Please let me know if you have any issues.]  
> We’re finally getting a little more of the story going!

_“We have what we need.”_  
Those were Leia’s words. Rey could feel doubt tugging at her, but she only nodded and smiled. While the Falcon seemed cramped for the brief time they traveled, she could still easily see that they were a small group. Despite the circumstances, however, morale had boosted since Skywalker’s return. In his passing, people only seemed to want to fight more. The remaining group was in a state of both determination and tension. The grim fact that the First Order would imminently return with the intention of annihilating them hung over everyone’s heads. Granted Rey needed little reminder. She’d shoved the broken saber fragments under her pillow quickly after her return. Leia must’ve sensed something, as she only offered her a knowing glance before leaving her be. She was grateful that she didn’t pry, or had least had chosen not to right away. What Rey really needed was just one day- even an hour, if she could- with her thoughts to herself. But no matter what she did she could still feel part of him, despite the fact that she quite literally shut the door in his face.  
Ben Solo was not the issue now, however. She couldn’t afford for him to be.

Currently, the Resistance had taken refuge on the planet Naboo. They’d taken care to land as quickly as possible, making a temporary home in a thickly wooded area. What little they saw of the population seemed to be purely human. Their first goal was to find allies. Hopefully, someone from the outer rim would respond. The planet was somewhat close to Crait, so if they were lucky, the First Order would assume that they ran farther and pass right over their heads. In the meantime, Leia had insisted upon getting the message of Luke’s appearance across the galaxy. Hopefully this would get people to respond. Their other goal was to speak with the leaders of Theed, Naboo’s human capital. What they needed above all was support, something Leia planned to gain with Rey’s assistance.

  
There were roughly two weeks without any response. They’d sent out a few careful transmissions. Some tried contacting relatives, others simply their home planets, anything they could do to tell people about Skywalker. The rest of the small base, meanwhile, was growing antsy. Poe, who Rey quickly grew to learn shared her love of flying, had devoted himself to learning every inch of the falcon. He cleaned it obsessively and chattered about it’s different mechanisms. Sometimes Rey listened, sometimes she didn’t. Either way his company was pleasant, especially with Finn being preoccupied as of late. Her friend had spent most of his time caring for Rose. The girl had woken up a few times on and off, but was still pretty shaken after the events on Crait. It’s not every day that you go from working on pipes to fighting in a full out war- then again, it’s not every day you suddenly transition from a lowly scavenger to a Jedi Knight.

  
That was a concept Rey disliked thinking about. Part of it made her stomach twist. The sensation grew even worse when her “training” (if she could even call it that) was brought up. Finn was the first to ask her. The two were sitting beside Rose’s bed, the small girl sitting up with wide eyes and studying Rey as she spoke.  
“What was it like?”  
“With Luke?” Both nodded in response, Rey pausing for a moment.  
“Difficult. He was... frustrating, at first. He hadn’t had a student in quite a while.” She smiled weakly as she mused.  
“Did he teach you any new stuff?” Like how you lifted those rocks?” Finn was eager. Rey tilted her head while forming a response.  
“Well- sort of. Using the Force and being a Jedi isn’t about lifting rocks, though. That was the first thing he told me, actually.” Rey nodded firmly. “The Force is everywhere, good, evil- it isn’t exclusive to the Jedi. It belongs to everyone and everything.” Rose seemed awe struck.  
“Woah..” She was grinning ear to ear, hair sticking out while she shifted her weight. “Can I see?” She thumbed her necklace, removing it and handing the small half moon item to Rey. She hesitated before taking it. She likely shouldn’t use her abilities as some sort of party trick... right? The scavenger quickly nodded before taking it. People were bound to be curious, and it wouldn’t be that much of a harm. She held it carefully in the palm of her hand, taking a deep breath before focusing. It wobbled slightly before slowly lifting itself up and floating several inches above the palm of her hand. Rose let out another sound of amazement, Finn sharing her impressed expression. Rey let it plop back into her hand easily, handing it back to Rose before sitting back slightly.  
“That’s amazing, Rey.” Finn shook his head. “You clearly learned a lot..”  
“You must’ve worked hard, too.” Rose chuckled slightly while gesturing to the scar that had formed on Rey’s arm. She brought her hand up and let her fingers brush it for a moment, thinking back to how she’d actually received it.  
“Yeah,” She laughed. “It was rough work, but it paid off!” The three grew silent for a moment before Rose spoke again.  
“And.. did you... really fight Kylo Ren?”  
Rey’s smile faded slightly before she nodded somberly.  
“Yes.”  
“Yes? She fought him and won.” Finn clapped Rey’s arm. “She saved my life.” She looked over at her friend with a weak expression before smiling slightly.  
“I just did what I had to do in the moment.”  
“Well that’s incredible.” Rose shook her head. “Let’s hope you can win another fight against him in the future!”  
“Hopefully, it won’t come to that.” Rey thought silently before nodding.  
“I’ll do everything I can to get us through this.” She have them a firm smile.  
Their conversation was interrupted by a loud screech coming from the Falcon’s cockpit. Rey’s head whipped around, finding the voice to belong to Lieutenant Connix who quickly came sprinting down the hallway.

“GET GENERAL ORGANA- WE’VE GOTTEN A RESPONSE!”

A small group had dedicated themselves to setting up listening shifts, just in case someone came through. In this instance, the message they received was from the outer rim planet Abafar. It was more of a cry for help- scratchy, frantic, and rushed. A wave of silence fell across the group as Connix played the transmission aloud. Leia leaned on her cane carefully, Poe beside her while Rey and the others listened intently.  
According to the message, the once baron Abafar had apparently been turned back into a fuel stronghold by the First Order, putting war prisoners and slaves to work mining for Rhydonium.

“It powers starships. It was heavily sought after during the Clone Wars.” Leia spoke as the transmission continued.

_“THEY HAVE NEARLY DEPLETED THE ENTIRE PLANET OF IT’S RESOURCES, BUT IF WE DO NOT MEET OUR QUOTAS, WE ARE KILLED. YOUR MESSAGE HOWEVER HAS SPARKED HOPE IN US. IF IT IS TRUE THAT SKYWALKER AND THE JEDI LIVE, WE BEG FOR YOUR HELP. WE ARE PLOTTING A REBELLION. IT IS TIME. THEY’RE WEAK—ER SNOKE — S— DE— AD—.”_

The message crackled towards the end, skipping and then cutting off hastily. Everyone seemed to inhale at once at the last three words.  
Snoke is dead.  
That was a conversation for later, however. Poe was the first to speak up.  
“We have to help them- don’t we? If we get enough people together-“ Leia raised her hand, nodding in agreement before speaking.  
“Given the circumstances, while yes, we should help them, we need to handle things a certain way. We can’t defeat them with one ship.”  
Poe bit his lip. “We have good fighters, though.” He glanced around, finding Rey. “We have a Jedi.” She tensed slightly at his words, avoiding eye contact.  
“I’m aware, Dameron. However we need to be more organized. I do think we can use some things to our advantage, for now.” She too shifted her gaze to Rey, others doing the same.  
“We need to approach Theed. It’s the human capital. I doubt they’d want to get involved, but perhaps seeing something right in front of them will be what brings them in.”  
“You’d like me to go with you?” Rey looked at Leia carefully before the woman nodded.  
“Yes. I think it’d help a lot. They need to see. You’re the last left after Luke. You can give people hope.”  
“Hope...” Rey murmured. “..alright.”

——————————-

His saber had left it’s mark everywhere. It was hot and unforgiving- anything not bolted down was cut in half within seconds. His quarters were in shambles by the time an unimpressed Hux arrived, lips pursed and eyes drawn back into slits.  
“Sir- Supreme Leader. The Knights have arrived and request council.”  
Kylo drew in a breath, brushing a few strands of dark hair from his forehead before turning towards him.  
“I’ll meet with them accordingly.” He swept past the ginger and down the hall, giving no thought to how his eyes bore into his back. Kylo entered a dark meeting hall with a long table. He took his seat at the head, watching seven figures emerge from the end of the room and take a seat. Avarice Ren, his second, was the first to speak.  
“Master.” The woman was perplexed. “We came as soon as we received word.” Originally acolytes, the Knights typically held their own agenda. With his association with the First Order, Kylo was somewhat lenient with them- they all had shared allegiance to Snoke, so it worked fine as long as there was no interference. Typically they spent their time collecting dark objects associated with Vader, unless he called on them. Now, however, it was a state of borderline emergency, in their eyes.  
Kylo nodded.  
“Thank you. The Supreme Leader’s death was unexpected. I hadn’t expected the girl to have so much power.” He remained firm as he spoke. Just as he had once needed to shield his emotions from Snoke- he would have to do so with his knights. Whatever regret- if there was any, a large portion of Kylo still latched on to not believing it was there- had to remain hidden if he were to be respected. Avarice, Ira, Krenari, Epsh, Uriel, and Luca. They were his sisters, his comrades. He was a boy in his pajamas who’d just committed mass murder when he joined them. However they were also zealots. They worshipped. He would have to become their new god, for the time being. The fact that Snoke’s blood lied on his hands, was a fact definitely shouldn’t come to light.  
“Is she that strong in the force?”  
Kylo nodded. “I’ll admit that I was knocked unconscious very early on. I had assumed that the Supreme Leader was strong enough to handle the situation and was taken off guard. I was incorrect.”  
“If The Supreme Leader was truly defeated by a single Jedi, then all of us were wrong, to an extent.” Ira Ren thumbed a long and curved sword, exhaling. “The girl must be eliminated.” The rest of the Knights nodded in agreement, eyeing their master and waiting for the command. Whatever didn’t embody their ideals should be purged.  
With a wave of his hand, Kylo could likely have Rey dead by morning once her location was found. And the Knights were very good at finding things. Something however was tugging at him. From the moment he knelt before her on Crait up until now, he hadn’t felt anger or hatred once. Any hint of it he felt was directed only at himself. He wished he could hate her. Instead he simply felt regret.  
“Let’s make this interesting.” He spoke quickly and raised his hand.  
“I’ll have Hux put a bounty on her head. She needs to have no place to go. Like a cornered animal.”  
He could see their movements. Their hands had tightened around their weapons.  
“You’re trying to have fun with this, Master?”  
Kylo shook his head.  
“No. What I mean is that currently, I require you all to be by my side. There is still discourse present here. Let the galaxy handle the Jedi for now. She’ll be yours in due time.”  
He bit the inside of his cheek as they responded.  
“Yes Master.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again reminder this isn’t BETAed! I apologize for any errors!

**Author's Note:**

> Again, I apologize for the small start. I have no idea how this sight or BETAing works, so forgive the unprofessional qualities :’) English isn’t my strongest suit so please let me know of any typos!


End file.
